


System Reboot

by MissMouse1421



Series: Finding a Balance [9]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But it's not on purpose, Finding a Balance Sequel, Frottage, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Naruto has a mid-life crisis in his 20s, Neglected Sasuke, Relationship Problems, Self-Doubt, implied panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-24 07:44:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13806681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMouse1421/pseuds/MissMouse1421
Summary: *SCREAMS INTO THE VOID UNTIL I'M HOARSE WITH RAGE*It took three hours of frantic uninterrupted writing and a large glass of champagne to finally get this done. I don't even know what to say anymore. This is a two part chapter and I'm posting them both together because I would be a total asshole if I didn't. Please enjoy guys. I'm truly sorry for the wait.Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.





	1. System Reboot: Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> *SCREAMS INTO THE VOID UNTIL I'M HOARSE WITH RAGE*  
> It took three hours of frantic uninterrupted writing and a large glass of champagne to finally get this done. I don't even know what to say anymore. This is a two part chapter and I'm posting them both together because I would be a total asshole if I didn't. Please enjoy guys. I'm truly sorry for the wait.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.

On a Monday night Sasuke came home with a bag of take out in his hands―Naruto had completely ruined his healthy eating habits―only to find that Naruto was no longer waiting for him in the living room or the kitchen. In fact, it was Keiko who greeted him at the door, weaving in and out between his feet which wasn’t uncommon, but she was moving more erratically than usual and letting out little half-mews in quick succession. It was completely different from her normal howls for attention when Sasuke’s mind was elsewhere.

The Uchiha bent down and stroked the cat’s head but she ducked away from his touch, something that _never_ happened, not even the first day he got her. “What’s wrong girl?” Keiko stared right up at him with her tail whipping almost anxiously behind her. “What’s got you so spooked? Naruto!” Sasuke called out to his boyfriend fully expecting an answer because his car was still in the parking lot, but the only reaction he received was from Keiko. She suddenly turned and took a few steps away from him, only to turn back and rub against his leg again, almost like she wanted him to follow her.

Sasuke decided to trust his instincts and took a few deliberate steps away from the door, following Keiko’s previous movements. Keiko mewed again, louder this time, and practically walked on his feet as Sasuke made his way into the hall leading to their bedrooms. To Sasuke’s surprise, he found his boyfriend lying flat on his back in the middle of the hall, his arms only able to spread out about half the way before hitting the walls, eyes glued to the ceiling above him. “Naruto?” Sasuke called to him, confusion clear in his tone and expression.

“Hey, Sasuke. Welcome back.”

Naruto sounded _off,_ and as if she had realized this, Keiko marched past Sasuke’s feet and started nervously pacing around Naruto's head. The blond lifted his arm and patted her head, but the movement was sloppy and the gesture totally empty of any actual affection. It was no secret that Naruto hadn't warmed up to their cat as easily as Sasuke had, but in the last couple of months things seemed to have calmed down between them. If anything, Naruto was more determined than ever to make Keiko like him. This wasn't normal behaviour for him either.

Keiko looked up at Sasuke again as if trying to say _you need to do something about this_. The Uchiha took a step towards his boyfriend and asked, “Why are you on the floor?” Naruto continued to stare up at the ceiling like Sasuke wasn’t even there, but he answered him all the same. “I’m not really sure.” It was a spacey response, like he wasn’t really listening to Sasuke, like he was on auto-pilot or something.

Naruto was definitely acting strange. It was a complete contrast to his behaviour before Sasuke had left to pick up their dinner. It was the glassy look in his eyes that made Sasuke’s muscles tense in his back, wondering if perhaps his boyfriend had over done it on the drink and was heading for a repeat of that night that seemed like a lifetime ago.

A quick glance in the kitchen produced no signs of empty bottles or glasses, but that was only a partial comfort. Something was still obviously very wrong and Sasuke needed to find out what it was. He decided to start with the basics. “Are you sick?”

Naruto answered surprisingly quickly for someone who seemed so disconnected from what was going on around him. “I don’t think so,” he replied. Setting down the take-out bag on the floor, Sasuke quietly approached his boyfriend, scooted Keiko out of his way, and sat down beside Naruto on the floor, cross legged. The space was a little cramped, but that was the least of Sasuke's concerns. “Tell me what happened.”

Naruto finally showed the hint of a reaction, his eyebrows creasing ever so slightly as he seemed to struggle with answering the question. “One of my professors called. He reamed me out for skipping some of my classes.”

“You’ve been skipping class?” This caught Sasuke completely off guard. He and Naruto usually left around the same time in the morning. It had never crossed his mind that Naruto might not be going to classes despite being on campus. The blond hadn’t let on that anything was wrong. Or maybe he did and Sasuke didn’t notice. It just didn’t make sense.

Naruto had been reluctantly open about his issues with his current educational plan. They hardly ever talked about it, but Sasuke had at least a minimal understanding of how his boyfriend felt, and even still it seemed out of character for Naruto to be so irresponsible. Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed in Naruto’s choice to run away. But he was more disappointed that Naruto felt the need to keep it a secret from him.

“He gave me an ultimatum. Told me to get my shit together or drop out. After he hung up I just…lost my mind.” As Naruto explained this to him Sasuke tried to remind himself that the most important thing right now was Naruto’s physical and mental health. Even though he was frustrated that Naruto had been keeping secrets from him, he knew all of that would have to wait until later.

“What exactly happened?” Sasuke pressed him for more information sounding much calmer than he actually felt.

“My chest felt tight and my legs were shaky,” Naruto provided. “I guess I fell.” Naruto frowned deeply as he was undoubtedly disturbed by the memory of his body giving out on him. Sasuke had the same basic medical knowledge as anybody, but hearing that Naruto had basically collapsed was understandably just as alarming as it was upsetting. He doubted Naruto could be suffering from something as severe as a heart attack.

Based on the information he had been given, Sasuke wondered if Naruto had gotten so overwhelmed about school that his anxieties skyrocketed and completely caught him off guard. Despite outward appearances, Sasuke knew Naruto could get pretty worked up about certain things, but Sasuke never expected to see him down and out for the count like this. He didn’t know things were this bad.

Sasuke carefully manoeuvred them so he could rest Naruto’s head in his lap while checking for a fever with a hand to his forehead, just in case. “Naruto, have you ever had a panic attack before?” It seemed like the most logical assessment, but Naruto shook his head.

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Giving his boyfriend a once over, Sasuke saw no external signs of distress. Maybe he was a bit paler than usual, but he was breathing normally and moving around more naturally compared to his zombie like state when Sasuke had first stumbled upon him. The Uchiha decided to go with his gut and not take Naruto to the hospital. As long as the blond continued to answer his questions coherently, Sasuke figured he could handle it on his own and save them both the trip.

“Come on,” Sasuke said before giving Naruto’s arm a slight tug. “Let’s get you off the floor and into bed.”

“That would be nice.”

Sasuke helped Naruto up to his feet and kept a protective hand on the blond’s back as he escorted them into Naruto’s bedroom, which just so happened to be the closer of the two. Once Naruto was situated comfortably on the bed leaning against the headboard, Sasuke left the room to grab his boyfriend a cup of water before coming back in and setting it on the bedside table.

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto’s legs and simply stared at him for a moment in silence. When Naruto met his gaze, it was Sasuke who appeared to be deeply disturbed now. “I knew you were stressed about school but…I never imagined it could be this bad.”

Naruto’s lips twisted in a grimace as he leaned heavily back on the headboard, shoulders drooping in defeat. “I guess it all started to pile up and I just snapped under the pressure... This is so lame.” Sasuke could see that Naruto was embarrassed, but this wasn’t something either one of them could afford to just sweep under the rug and forget about. They needed to talk about this.

Sasuke laid a comforting hand on Naruto’s shin. “Do you want me to call your parents?”

Naruto let out a sigh. “No. No sense in worrying them now. I’m fine.”

“I found you on the floor.”

“I'm starting to feel better now. Really.” Sasuke wanted to argue the point, but even he could see the colour returning to the blond’s cheeks. He just looked miserable now. “I have no idea what I’m doing here, Sasuke. In college. The truth is...I’m scared shitless.” Now that Naruto was finally being honest with him, Sasuke was feeling a bit overwhelmed himself. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and make the situation worse.

“What are you so afraid of?"

"Failing." Naruto seemed surprised by his own straightforwardness, but he carried on as if he had begrudgingly accepted that he couldn’t keep how he felt to himself any longer. He was caught. “You, my parents. I don't want to let anybody down."

“You haven't let us down, Naruto,” was Sasuke’s immediate response. “And you haven't failed either." Sasuke knew Minato and Kushina were Naruto’s biggest fans. They were proud of their son, and rightfully so. Sasuke couldn’t see Naruto’s parents as being anything but supportive in this situation. Even if they were a little upset at first, mostly from the shock, Sasuke was sure that having them by Naruto’s side would make a world of difference to the blond.

"Do you really think everyone gets it right on the first try? Trial and error makes us who we are. It's how we learn from our mistakes. This is just a minor setback. It's not the end of the world."

"You don't get it, Sasuke.” And maybe he didn’t. Sasuke had never been in Naruto’s position before. He never doubted what he wanted to do with his life. He never lost sight of that ultimate goal of becoming a teacher. Naruto never had a path to follow, and it was only now that Sasuke was finding out just how much this has been affecting him. “I got a slow start on college and now I'm falling even further behind."

Sasuke had learned from past experiences that sometimes all Naruto needed was to know he wasn’t alone. Sasuke could ramble on and on about the logical side of things, but in the end they were just words. Naruto needed to be reminded that he could lean on Sasuke in times of great distress. The Uchiha knew sometimes Naruto found it hard to show his vulnerability, and Sasuke shared the same struggles. This is why he found it so important to remind Naruto that he would always be willing to listen to his boyfriend’s troubles. Just as he knew Naruto would do the same for him.

They were a team.

Sasuke scooted up the bed and took Naruto’s hand in his own, squeezing reassuringly when Naruto glanced down at their clasped hands. "You don't have to go through this alone. We will figure this out together.” Sasuke offered a comforting smile when Naruto slowly glanced back up at him. “Whatever you need I am here for you. Okay?"

Naruto still looked hesitant to agree, but a small curl of his lips gave Sasuke the reassurance that Naruto understood Sasuke was, and would always be, on his side. "So what do I do now?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

"I think you should call the campus counselor and see if you can schedule an appointment for tomorrow morning. See what she has to say. Maybe she can help you make a plan and give you some peace of mind."

Taking a slow, deep breath through his nose, Naruto nodded and agreed without a fight. "Yeah, okay. That...that sounds like a good idea." Naruto stuffed his hand in his jeans pocket and pulled out his cell phone, but his thumb hesitated over the screen. Not wanting to push his boyfriend in his fragile state, Sasuke waited patiently until Naruto eventually placed the phone back down on his lap. “Could you just... Would you mind sitting with me for awhile? I need to work up the nerve, you know?"

Without a word Sasuke pulled himself up to Naruto’s side and Naruto automatically wrapped his arm around Sasuke’s shoulder, pulling him close. Sasuke leaned his head on the blond’s shoulder and gently closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to soak everything in. Sasuke was feeling a lot of mixed emotions right now, but he hoped and prayed that Naruto would be back to his old self by tomorrow. Nothing in the world felt right when Naruto wasn’t acting like Naruto. Nothing in Sasuke’s world anyway.

How did he not see it?

* * *

 Naruto ended up having to schedule an appointment that coming Thursday morning because the counselor was all booked up. Unfortunately for the blond, that meant he had to spend the next two days in a state of complete dread. Sasuke suffered from this as well because every time he tried to reassure his boyfriend that everything was going to be alright, Naruto would get so lost in his head with worry that Sasuke wasn’t even sure if the blond had heard him in the first place.

Intentional or not, Naruto started to create a distance between them that put a bit of a strain on their relationship. He was so self-conscious about coming off as pathetic and weak that he’d rather hide in his room than actually face Sasuke and open up again like he did that night. Sasuke tried to be understanding of how Naruto was feeling, but it was hard to see him like this. It was hard to accept the fact that Naruto didn’t want to be near him right now. Usually the blond couldn’t get enough of him. But Sasuke was starting to realize that in desperate situations, Naruto felt the urge to run away. And he'd crash and burn later when he just couldn’t do it anymore.

It was how he coped. Or at least pretended to cope.

The day before his meeting Naruto tossed and turned the whole night. He couldn’t shut his brain off long enough to relax, and poor Sasuke could only sigh and cuddle up next to him in hopes of calming him down enough so they could both get some sleep. Even Keiko looked particularly pissed off for being kept up all night.

Come Friday morning, Sasuke made them both french toast with fresh fruit for breakfast and he tried to keep the conversation light until it was time for his first class. Naruto decided to take his morning classes off and go into the counselor’s office with as little stress from prior commitments as possible. Only this time, he did inform his proffesors. Sasuke was just glad Naruto would be able to talk to a professional. One who could hopefully help him in ways that Sasuke simply wasn’t qualified to.

He whole-heartedly believed that this would be good for Naruto. And he tried to stress this as gently as possible as he watched his boyfriend pace around the apartment, working himself up into a tizzy before he had even left the house.

Naruto had an hour to kill before his appointment, and in desperation to keep his nerves in check, he started texting Kiba a few stupid memes to distract himself, knowing full well his best friend would send some back that would undoubtedly make him chuckle. He really needed a good laugh right now.

Sasuke lingered for as long as he could, but eventually he kissed Naruto on the cheek and wished him luck before leaving the apartment. He didn’t tell Naruto, but Sasuke secretly asked Keiko to keep an eye on him before he left. Sasuke was 99.9% sure she didn’t listen to him.

The Uchiha texted Naruto once he was out of his first class, but the blond didn’t respond. Sasuke figured he was still in his meeting and it would be rude of Naruto to pull out his phone, so Sasuke went to his next class with minimal concern. He didn’t hear from Naruto for the rest of the day, but when Sasuke arrived home late in the afternoon, Naruto was already on the couch in the living room, a pencil stuck behind his ear, and surrounded by loose papers and empty folders.

“Hey, how did it go? What did the counselor say?” Sasuke got straight to the point after dropping his bag near the front door and coming to lean on the back of his chair. Naruto glanced up at him briefly before looking back down at the papers in his hands, only to change his mind and quickly dart his eyes back to Sasuke when the Uchiha showed signs of impatience.

“We talked about a lot of things actually. I told her I had never done anything like this before and she was really cool about it. She kept coaching me on how to calm my breathing and put everything into perspective. It wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. We pretty much spend the first hour just getting to know each other.”

“Did it help at all? Do you feel any better?”

Naruto stretched his neck to one side before sinking back all the way into the cushions. “Yeah, I mean to an extent. There’s still a lot that needs to be sorted out obviously. She wants me to come back in tomorrow and figure out my next step.”

Satisfied with Naruto’s response, Sasuke wandered into the kitchen to grab a snack. “What are all those papers?” he asked on his way by.

Naruto started flipping through said papers again as he replied. “Career aptitude tests, different courses I might be interested in. Basically a lot of homework. I don’t know how I’m gonig to figure all this shit out. I have the attention span of a goldfish.”

“You don’t want to try and stick it out until the end of the year?”

Sasuke turned back around in time to see Naruto shaking his head. “That’s what Mrs H said too. But I can’t just sit there and pretend to be happy and engaged with my classes because I’m _not_. It would drive me crazy. Besides, if I just left things the way they are now I might end up running away and regretting it later on. I don’t want to give myself that opportunity.”

Sasuke was impressed by Naruto’s sudden conviction to make a change. After spending only one morning with someone who actually knew how to handle these types of situations, Naruto was already showing signs of optimism. Or at least he was willing to do the work to make himself happy again. It was a complete 180 from his behaviour the last couples of days and Sasuke found himself smiling at the back of Naruto’s head.

“Why did I have to have my midlife crisis in the middle of the semester?" Naruto mumbled to himself while scribbling down on some of the loose papers he had now moved onto the coffee table.

“You’re only 23,” Sasuke smirked as he lifted the cup up to his mouth and took a sip.

Naruto shot a quick look over his shoulder. “Would you let me be dramatic for five minutes?” Sasuke simply raised his eyebrows and watched as Naruto went back to messing around with the papers. At least he was starting to act a little more like himself. While he watched Naruto work, an idea popped into Sasuke’s head, and while Naruto was distracted with his papers he walked up behind him, leaned over the back of the couch and loosely wrapped his arms around the blond’s neck.

Naruto turned his head and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as Sasuke’s chin rested against his shoulder. Naruto smiled a little and quirked an eyebrow as he asked, “Can I help you?” in a light tone, showing he didn’t really mind the interruption.

“I have an idea,” Sasuke told him. He tried and failed to keep a smile of his own off his face as he explained his brilliant idea to get Naruto to pay more attention to him. He didn’t mention that last part for obvious reasons, but he knew in his heart of hearts that was the ultimate goal—to get them to spend some time together. “I would very much like to take you out tomorrow evening.”

“Out,” Naruto repeated the word attentively, now looking him straight in the eye as best he could from the angle he was sitting at. “You mean, like a date?”

“Not _like_ a date. _A._ _Date._ It’s been awhile since we’ve gone out together, just the two of us.”

“Has it?” Naruto’s face took on a thoughtful expression. “Yeah, I guess it has been a couple weeks since we actually went out. Isn’t living with me enough for you?” Sasuke’s unimpressed grimace was met with laughter and Naruto leaning over to kiss him on the cheek apologetically.

“It’s not the same thing and you know it,” Sasuke told him flatly, now wearing a frown.

“Yeah, you’re right. I do. So, what did you have in mind?” A flutter of excitement began to rise in Sasuke’s chest. Naruto appeared to be open to the idea. Maybe he was ready to let Sasuke in again.

“Let me take you to a nice restaurant. I’ll order us a bottle of wine with dinner. My treat.”

Naruto’s eyes widen a little in surprise. “What’s the occasion?” he asked curiously. Sasuke’s voice and expression took on a more serious tone as his hold around the blond tightened ever so slightly. “I know you’ve had a hard couple of days. I want to do something nice for you,” Sasuke lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Take your mind off things. At least for one night.”

Naruto looked at him almost sympathetically. It wasn’t the reaction Sasuke was hoping for. “Sasuke, my head is so scrambled I don’t think anything could make me forget the shitstorm that is my life right now.” Naruto lifted the stack of papers that were still on his lap and let them flutter back down as if to prove his point. Just when the sting of rejection began to sink in, Naruto turned it around by saying, “But I really appreciate the gesture. Hell yes you can take me out. Play your cards right and I might even let you get to third base.”

Sasuke tilted his head and let out an amused hum before connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Just as Sasuke’s hand began lowering to Naruto’s chest, Naruto pulled his head back and gently grabbed Sasuke’s hand before it could slip into the collar of his shirt. “But right now I really need to read through all this crap,” Naruto explained apologetically. “Do you mind?”

Sasuke hadn’t expected Naruto to throw him down on the couch and take him right then and there just for making the offer, but Sasuke knew he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed that Naruto stopped him. It had been a stressful couple of days, after all.

_Tomorrow,_ Sasuke assured himself. _Tomorrow we’ll have the whole night together. I can wait._

“How can I help?” Sasuke asked, letting go of Naruto and standing back up behind the couch.

“Food?” Naruto offered, once again becoming distracted by his current task. Sasuke nodded and wandered into the kitchen once again to peruse through a couple of the cupboards, searching for something to cook.

“How does tacos sound?” Silence followed his question and Sasuke turned around to see Naruto completely hunched over the coffee table, scanning each line written on the page and continuiously erasing and changing his answers. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask the question again, but seeing the concentration Naruto was putting into his work made him keep quiet. Although he wasn’t thrilled about being ignored, Sasuke knew he shouldn’t disturb Naruto right now.

The blond’s future was more important than what they were going to eat for dinner anyways...

* * *

The next day Naruto went to all of his classes but ended up staying long after Sasuke had already gone home for his next appointment with the counselor. Sasuke hadn’t heard from the blond all day, and it wasn’t for lack of trying, so he didn’t really know what was going on or if Naruto was making any progress or not.

Eventually Sasuke forced himself to push away any unplesant thoughts and set about getting ready for their dinner date. He took a long, hot shower and spritzed himself with the colonge that Naruto had commented positively on once or twice in the past. Sasuke shrugged on one of his nicer black blazers and paired it with a simple white T underneath. He finished the look with some black skinny jeans that again Naruto had made a point to comment on inappropriately while on a shopping trip last month.

He looked himself over in the mirror once, then twice before nodding assuredly and walking into the kitchen to give Keiko her supper before they left for the evening. Once Keiko was taken care of, Sasuke wandered aimlessly around the apartment, organizing books and folding laundry in an attempt to kill time. Tonight he really wanted to focus on reconnecting with Naruto. Now that the Uchiha had a moment to look back and reflect on this past month, he realized that Naruto had been a bit quieter than usual. He wasn’t exactly distant, but his typical enthusiasm was lacking at the best of times.

Now that Sasuke thought about it, they hadn’t done _that_ in at least a couple of weeks. More often than not Naruto was jumping his bones at any given opportunity. Unsurprisingly the blond had a very active libido that sometimes Sasuke just couldn’t keep up with. He’d often reject his boyfriend when Naruto would strike at inopportune times, but now that Naruto wasn’t even trying to bed him it made Sasuke want him all the more. He was becoming impatient.

Sasuke was confident enough in himself now to try and initiate it, but Naruto just didn’t seem into it. Of course Sasuke understood now that all this odd behaviour stems from worry and stress, but still. He was hoping tonight would bring that spark back into their relationship, and hopefully would end with both of them happy and satisfied.

When the time they had agreed on to leave for their date night had come and gone, Sasuke could feel the increasing spike of anxiety ripple through his chest. He and Naruto hadn’t spoken since this morning, and although the Uchiha had tried to be vague on where they were going―he wanted to surprise the blond for once, instead of the other way around―he couldn’t imagine Naruto forgetting their plans so quickly. 

He had sent off a few meaningless texts this afternoon, but Naruto quickly informed Sasuke that he was still in his meeting and unable to chat. Naruto wasn’t unreasonably late, but late enough for Sasuke’s mind to wander. And of course that’s when the darker thoughts began creeping their way in― _what if something happened to him? What if he got in an accident?―_ and it was those increasingly upsetting thoughts that gave Sasuke the incentive to call his boyfriend’s cell phone.

He was probably jumping to conclusions a little _too_ quickly, but the relief that flooded through him when Naruto picked up with an airy, “Hey,” was unmistakable. Sometimes it was truly frightening how easily this man could unknowingly manipulate Sasuke’s emotions. But hey, at least it was a two way street.

“Hey,” Sasuke breathed, allowing himself to come down from the initial panic, muscles relaxing and his grip on the phone loosening. He could make out the familiar sounds of the inside of a car rattling and the subtle hum of an engine through the line, and he came to the conclusion that Naruto was driving. That was a good sign at least, wasn’t it? “Where are you?” Sasuke questioned Naruto with more conviction in his tone. _I made a reservation_ was on the tip of Sasuke’s tongue, but he decided to hold off until he heard Naruto’s excuse for keeping him waiting. _Then_ he would voice his grievances.

“Where–” Naruto seemed to stop mid-thought, took a second to rethink what he wanted to say, and then let out a curse instead.

Okay. So that probably wasn’t a good sign.

Sasuke could feel his mood deflate almost immediately as a string of _shit shit shit_ s repeated rhythmically through the speaker, followed by the sound of hands tapping against the steering wheel restlessly. “You’re not on your way, are you?” Sasuke wasn’t able to keep the bitterness out of his voice and Naruto must have noticed because his response sounded sheepish at best.

“We were supposed to have dinner.” Sasuke could practically feel Naruto’s guilt radiating through the phone. “I thought I–” he paused again, sounding frazzled. “I meant to call you…”

Sasuke thought about repeating his earlier question of where his boyfriend was going if not on his way home, probably more of a demand now than a question, but Naruto beat him to it with the answer. “I’m heading to my parents place. I’d turn around but– I’m like 15 minutes away and I promised–” Naruto exhaled deeply through his nose, trying to calm himself down and collect his thoughts before continuing.

“I really screwed up, Sasuke. I stupidly texted my dad last night and told him everything, and _of course_ he told my mom and apparently she’s been freaking out all day. She called me at lunch bordering on hysterical, demanding that I come over tonight so she can ream me out in person. Or "help figure out the situation" as my dad put it, and I just agreed without thinking.”

Sasuke had to disagree with him there. _Thinking_ seemed to be all the blond did lately―grossly _over-thinking_ was more like it. It wasn’t a terribly hard concept to wrap his head around with everything going on that Naruto _had_ simply forgotten. He just couldn’t let himself entertain the thought, too riled up on excitement, wanting to believe that Naruto wouldn’t let him down.

Sasuke could understand Naruto getting mixed up, but it was little to no comfort in the moment. He was really looking forward to their date and the inevitable intimacy that would follow late into the night behind closed doors. Wrapped in Naruto’s comforting embrace, letting himself be swept up in the passion of having been denied for so long. He just wanted to be close to the blond again, and the small flicker of desperation in his heart was starting to get harder to suppress with _patience_ and _sympathy_.

“You’re mad, I get that. You have every right to be. But I’ll make it up to you, I swear. Look―I really gotta go. We can talk when I get home. I’ll text you before heading back, okay?”

_No, you won’t_ an increasingly nasty voice sneered in Sasuke’s head. _You’ll just forget again._ “Alright,” is what he said out loud.

“Yeah, okay. I really am―I’ll-I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

 "Love you—" Naruto hung up the phone. “…too.”

When Naruto got home that night Sasuke was already in his bed, but he woke up when he heard Naruto shuffling through the front door. Sasuke was lying on his side with his back to the door when Naruto quietly opened the door and peered inside. Sasuke gave no indication that he was awake, and after a moment of Sasuke feeling eyes on him, Naruto closed the door again and his footsteps retreated down the hall.

Sasuke listened to the sink in the bathroom turn on and to Naruto brushing his teeth. After the water turned off and the footsteps returned, Sasuke waited. And waited. And waited… Until he realized Naruto wasn’t coming to bed with him. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. Naruto knew Sasuke was upset with him. He probably thought Sasuke didn’t want him there.

He couldn’t be more wrong.


	2. System Reboot: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! Don't worry. There's still one more coming your way, then it's time to say adios. 
> 
> I'd like to explain a little why I struggled so much with this chapter in particular, but if you just want to read the freaking chapter already please skip this! 
> 
> I made a point of highlighting Naruto's struggle in college way back in Meet the Parents knowing I wanted to come back and address it. That being said, I have never been, nor will I ever probably experience college/university for myself. I know little to nothing about how it all works and I stupidly made the decision to write about it. In the end I tried to go into as little detail about it as possible and just focus on how Sasuke was reacting to everything. I feel really stupid for making this choice, but I did the best I could with what little information I had. I'm desperately trying to tie up any loose ends with these last few chapters and this was a glaringly obvious one thanks to yours truly. All I can do is move on and try to be smarter in the future. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotssss.

Naruto woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. He had a hell of a time explaining to his parents why he had been skipping classes. His father was as calm and collected as always, but he had gotten an earful from his mother for keeping secrets. Once all the yelling had gotten out of the way and Naruto explained how he felt, Kushina sympathized with her son and gave him a few crushing hugs when he explained what he had been going through this past month. More like this past year in secret.

They chatted for almost three hours straight until his mother was satisfied with what Naruto was doing to make things better and let him go. Before he left they both gave him a hug and told him they loved him no matter what. Of course Sasuke was right. Naruto’s parents didn’t look at him as a failure. They only saw their son struggling and wanted to help him in any way they could. Naruto knew sometimes he took his parents for granted, but god was he lucky to have them. And that was something he was never going to let himself forget.

Naruto spent his time driving home trying to come up with some way to apologize to Sasuke for screwing up their date. And possibly just as bad, Naruto wasn’t even really that surprised he had forgotten about it. This whole week had been a complete whirl-wind of events for him. He was so out of sorts and feeling like he was being pulled in every direction desperately trying to find something to latch onto.

Sasuke had been so quietly supportive and in the background that he just… stayed in the background. And Naruto was so oblivious to it because there was just _so much_ going on. He felt like he was trying to juggle all these different balls at the same time and now he had dropped the most important ball of all: Sasuke.

Naruto was going to fix it, but first he had to fix himself, and that meant deciding once and for all what he wanted to do with his life. It was the only way things between him and Sasuke could go back to normal. Naruto didn’t like the person he was becoming, and he was fairly certain Sasuke didn’t either. He decided to use that as motivation to get his shit together and figure things out.

When he finally got home and saw Sasuke fast asleep in his bed, Naruto didn’t want to wake him up, so he went to his own room instead. He knew he’d be tossing and turning most of the night anyway, and Sasuke needed his rest. The last thing he wanted was to bring Sasuke down with him.

Naruto stayed in bed longer than usual drifting in and out of sleep, so when he finally wandered out of his bedroom, hopped in the shower, and got dressed, it was closer to 11 am. He found Sasuke in the living room sitting on his chair wearing a jacket and tying up his shoes. “You going somewhere?” Naruto asked as he approached his boyfriend from behind, unfortunately noticing how Sasuke’s shoulders tensed from hearing the sound of his voice.

“Konan is picking the flowers for her bouquet today. I told Itachi I’d tag along and buy them lunch.”

“Really? You didn’t mention it.”

Sasuke finally stood up and turned around to face him. His response was perfectly stoic. “I told you two weeks ago.” Naruto frowned at that but he was smart enough not to argue. If Sasuke said he told him then he told him. Only one of them was currently losing their mind.

On instinct Naruto let out a nervous laugh and scratched at the back of his head. “I, uh, guess I forgot. My bad,” he apologized sheepishly. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed seemingly taking Naruto’s unintentional laughter as indifference towards not just this, but everything that had been happening prior. The Uchiha didn’t storm out though, however temping the option may be. He waited and gave Naruto the opportunity to say something. Whether or not Naruto chose to jump on the opportunity was totally up to him.

“Listen…” Naruto began slowly as the silence lingered on between them. “I’m really sorry about last night. I know things have been a little rough lately… but I want you to go out and have a good time today. We can talk when you get home.”

It wasn’t exactly the apology Sasuke was hoping for, but it was still something. “When I get home,” Sasuke agreed with a curt nod. Naruto watched as his boyfriend walked towards the front door and put his hand on the knob. Sasuke unexpectedly turned back around and offered, “You could come with me if you want.”

“I’d like to, but—”

“You have a meeting,” Sasuke finished for him. Naruto could see the rejection on Sasuke’s face and it hurt like hell knowing he put it there, but what else was he supposed to do? Sasuke quickly left after that and shut the door behind him unnecessarily hard. The sound was like a punch to Naruto’s gut, and he reluctantly slunk back into his room to prepare for the meeting.

* * *

 Sasuke met up with his brother and his fiancé a few miles outside of town at some obscure flower shop off the highway that Sasuke had never heard of. After exchanging a few quick greetings the three of them shuffled inside the rickety little shop and were greeted by an older woman with white hair arranging a flower display by the back doors. “Hello,” she said with a pleasant smile. “Can I help you find anything?”

“We’re just looking,” Konan told her, and the woman nodded adding if they needed any help to let her know. The three wandered around the shop with no particular destination in mind. Konan bent over and sniffed at a few flowers, making faces at most of them until Itachi started chuckling at her. She quickly righted herself and smacked his arm with the back of her hand, rolling her eyes when Itachi simply smiled at her and continued to follow her lead around the store. Sasuke was following behind them when his brother turned and said, “You didn’t have to come you know. I was prepared to suffer through this on my own.”

Overhearing the end of her fiancé’s comment, Konan stopped abruptly and turned around with hands on her hips and a frown on her face. “I’m not anymore thrilled about this than you are,” she stated bluntly. “Blame my mother. She’s the one who wanted me to follow tradition. When I told her I’d rather carry churros she hit me with a newspaper.” It was Konan’s flat delivery of the line that made Sasuke chuckle.

"I don’t mind,” he said addressing his brother. “I just hope I’m not intruding on a special moment here. I would imagine most couples planning the details of their wedding wouldn’t want to drag along their annoying kid brother.”

“You can annoy us all you want, Sasuke. We’re all going to be family soon. It’s part of the package.” Konan’s acceptance meant a lot to Sasuke, and he found himself smiling while watching her lean in and analyze the different types of flowers. Itachi gently nudged his brother with his elbow while Konan wasn’t paying attention.

“The queen has spoken."

“Does that say _cockscomb_? Who the hell came up with these names?” Konan’s voice quietly faded into the background as she continued to mumble irritably to herself about how absurd this whole situation was. The Uchiha brothers held back, giving the eldest a chance to start a conversation.

“Naruto didn’t want to come?” Itachi eventually asked. He wasn’t being judgemental, considering he didn’t even want to be here himself. Sasuke fidgeted from the question and began fiddling with some of the tags in near by pots. He faked interest in one of the plants as he replied, keeping his face out of view of his brother. Itachi would see through him in an instant.

“I asked but he was, uh, busy.”

“Things still a little rocky between you two?” Itachi was Sasuke's confidant, so of course he had kept his brother up to date on what was happening. He was regretting it now though because he really was trying to have a nice time today. Not just for himself, but for his brother and future sister-in-law as well. And for once that involved avoiding all topics that revolved around Naruto and their "rocky relationship" as Itachi put it.

It wasn’t often that Sasuke didn’t even want to think about the blond, let alone talk about him with his brother. But today he wanted to forget about his troubles at home and just pretend everything was fine. That is until he and Naruto had their chat later this afternoon. But of course his annoyingly persistent brother couldn't leave well enough alone. Didn’t Sasuke have the right to mope in solitude? "We're fine," Sasuke told him, knowing full well how shit he was at lying and that his brother never fell for it when they were growing up anyway.

"Sasuke."  
  
_I knew it!_  
  
"Don't Sasuke me," the youngest Uchiha scolded before giving up the ruse and turning to face his brother who now had his arms crossed over his chest like a disapproving parent. "Today is about you and your fiancé. For once I'd like to discuss someone else's relationship besides my own.”  
  
"We've been talking about my relationship all day. That's why we're here."  
  
"Well talk some more," Sasuke huffed before sliding his way past Itachi in a poor attempt to escape the conversation.  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with talking it out with someone outside of the situation,” Itachi continued as he followed his brother around the store in the least threatening way possible as to not scare Sasuke off further. “It’s okay to not know how to handle something. You’ve never been in a long term relationship before. You can’t expect to have all the answers all the time. It’s not logical.”

Sasuke wanted to ask when exactly he _would_ have all the answers, and just how many years he and Naruto would have to be together before he stopped feeling so clueless. But that would mean he was engaging in the conversation just like his brother wanted, and Sasuke was feeling particularly rebellious at the moment, so he avoided the topic with sarcasm. “So now you think you’re some kind of love guru? Is that it?”

“I am getting married in two months,” Itachi didn’t miss a beat. “And you’re projecting.”

Sasuke opened his mouth with some kind of aggravated rebuttal but before he could speak, Konan waved over her shoulder to get Itachi's attention. “Babe, look at the name of this one. _Goldenrod_. Is this a joke?” she asked in pure befuddlement.

Itachi did a quick sweep of the main room of the shop to make sure the owner hadn’t heard before pointing off in another direction to his right. “Why don’t you try the purple over there?” he suggested with an amused smirk, knowing Konan's favourite colour would undoubtedly capture her attention.

Konan could barely hold back the eye roll that was so desperate to escape her head as she said, “Yeah, can’t go wrong with _bush_ _morning glory,_ ” before wandering off to do as suggested. Now that Konan was on her own, the owner took the opportunity to approach her and start making suggestions woman to woman. Konan nodded politely to everything she said, but you could practically feel the tension in the air from Konan having to hold back her snark. 

Sasuke waited until he was sure they were out of ear shot to reluctantly start spilling his guts. There really was no place for him to hide, and if he was being honest with himself, there was a part of him that wanted to talk about it. Why did he even bother trying to avoid it in the first place? "It’s not what he’s doing―I’m glad he’s trying to make life better for himself―it’s the way he’s doing it that quite frankly, sucks.”

Itachi didn’t react positively or negatively to Sasuke’s decision to open up. His expression remained perfectly neutral. “Have you tried talking to him?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Sasuke shook his head and turned away. “He’s stressed out enough as is. If I made the choice to confront Naruto it would only make matters worse for him. It’s not about me.” It was a little different since Naruto himself had now extended the so-called olive branch. But even now, as upset as Sasuke was about the situation, there was still a part of him that feared discussing it would only heighten the emotions that were already running high in their household.

From the outside looking in, Sasuke always appeared to be the one most put together in their relationship. That’s not to say Naruto was unhinged or anything like that, but it was no secret Sasuke had much better control over himself and his actions. Or at least he did. Things were different now. He had so much more to lose. Maybe this time he couldn’t afford to be passive.

Itachi seemed to be trying to drive that point home. “It’s an equal partnership, Sasuke. It’s about both of you. If you’re not happy about something you’re allowed to tell him. That man doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body. You know he’s not trying to hurt you. If you just sat him down and told him how you felt, I guarantee he would change his behaviour.” Sasuke didn’t believe that Naruto was purposely trying to hurt him, it was true. But that didn’t make him feel any better either.

“Your brother is right.” Konan who was now on her own⸺most likely after unintentionally scaring off the owner with her very dry wit⸺startled Sasuke by her sudden presence behind him. He briefly peered over his shoulder at her before turning back to look at his brother, eyebrow raised in displeasure.

“It’s nice to know my love life is now an open book,” he said, oozing sarcasm.

Itachi lifted both his shoulders, fighting off a smirk. “Part of the package,” he reminded Sasuke. The youngest Uchiha let out a low sigh of resignation and the conversation was dropped. At least for the moment. Sensing the change in the mood, Konan marched right in between the brothers and used her fingers to point to two different flowers on either side of the isle.

“Okay, should I get camel toe cluster or penile passion?” she announced deliberately loud enough for the old woman behind the counter to raise her head and give her a strange look. Sasuke’s eyes widened as he stared at his future sister-in-law only to then glance to his right and notice his brother was doing the exact same thing. Konan didn’t follow up her question with any clever remark, as if she hadn’t just said something completely shocking. It only took Itachi a couple of seconds to catch on.

“You made those up,” he deadpanned.

“But you believed me for a second, didn’t you.”

* * *

Later that afternoon Sasuke arrived home with more of a hopeful attitude towards the situation with Naruto than when he had left that morning. Whether Sasuke wanted to hear it at the time or not, his brother’s words always had a calming effect on his psyche. At least things were going to be solved today instead of continuing to deteriorate the more time passed.

The Uchiha wallked into the apartment and saw Naruto sitting at the kitchen table with the landline held up to his ear. Naruto greeted him with a quick wave of his and hand and mouthed “two minutes”. Sasuke took off his coat and placed it on the hanger. Keiko came to rub at his feet until Sasuke bent down to pet her properly. After a few moments Sasuke wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of water, glancing every now and then out of the corner of his eye at Naruto. The blond was totally engrossed in the conversaion he was having and scribbling down notes on a piece of paper on the table.

Sasuke watched him silently for a moment before slipping out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into his bedroom⸺he closed the door behind him with a quiet click. Sasuke bussied himself with one of his class assignments until he heard Naruto approaching his door. The blond knocked which, yeah, Sasuke wasn’t accustomed to, before slowly pushing open the door and stepping inside. Naruto was being glaringly cautious, and Sasuke didn’t know what to make of it.

“Hey, how’d it go? Did Konan find what she was looking for?” Naruto asked as he crossed the room and sat down on the edge of Sasuke’s bed. Sasuke closed his books and spun around in the desk chair to show Naruto he had Sasuke’s full attention. He had a feeling this conversation was going to require lots of eye contact.

“It was okay. Konan’s not really interested in all these little details. She could care less what flowers she’s walking down the isle with.” Naruto nodded along with what Sasuke said, clearly offering him the same curtosy and listening intently.

“So no luck then?”

“I’m not really sure to be honest. She was too busy mocking everything to make a desicion.” Despite the confused little tilt to his head, Naruto’s lips curved up on the sides in a small smile. Sasuke allowed himself to offer a tiny smile back before he asked, “Who were you on the phone with? The counselor?”

Naruto started as if he had just remembered something important. “Oh, yeah. I was. I actually wanted to ask you about something.” Naruto hesitated until Sasuke nodded, encouraging him to continue. "What do you think about something like, uh, advertising?"

It took Sasuke a moment to realize that Naruto wasn’t actually asking Sasuke his personal opinion on advertising, but he was asking in relation to Naruto himself. “You mean for you?” Sasuke asked just for clarification.

“Yeah. Like marketing or a sales rep or something."

Sasuke took a moment to think about it, and the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. Naruto looked visibly nervous when Sasuke opened his mouth to respond. "Naruto... I think that's perfect."

The blond’s face immediately lit up. “Really?”

"I can't believe we never thought about this before. You're friendly, you're charismatic, you're creative. It makes perfect sense.” Naruto sat up a little straighter and fought to supress a grin as Sasuke continued, “What pushed you in this direction?"

"Actually, Mrs H suggested it,” Naruto explained. “Today we looked into some courses I could take for business and she got really excited about it all."

"What about you? How do you feel?" Sasuke felt like holding his breath while he waited for Naruto to get his thoughts in order.

"Good, I think,” Naruto started a little unsurly then gradually gained more confidence as he continued. “I mean after going over everything I guess I did feel kind of inspired. Exhausted too, but mostly excited." Sasuke didn’t want to push this idea onto Naruto just because it was the first thing that seems to have caught the blond’s interest. Naruto needed to be absoutely sure this was something he wanted to do, and Sasuke needed to know if things were going to change between them because of it.

“Is this something you could see yourself seriously doing in the future? Do you think you can make this commitmet to work hard and get it done?” Naruto looked down at his lap for a moment in thought, but he eventually raised his head again and met Sasuke’s gaze.

“Yeah. I think I can. I wanna try this.”

Sasuke got up from his chair and sat down beside Naruto on the bed, wrapping his arms around the blond in a hug. Sasuke heard Naruto let out a light huff as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s back and leaned into his body. It was the first time in awhile that Sasuke felt there was actually being progess made. He couldn’t help but be excited for Naruto, and the prospect of things returning to normal seemed so much closer.

Sasuke wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do or say now to open up the topic, but Naruto decided to make the choice for him. A quiet sigh escaped from Sasuke's lips as Naruto gently leaned them back down on the bed. It felt like forever since Naruto held him like this. Cradling Sasuke with one arm and using the other to prop himself up, Naruto hovered over Sasuke's face and smiled when the Uchiha relaxed back into the mattress.

"I'm sorry," Naruto finally said, looking down at him guiltily. "I know I haven’t exactly been an A class boyfriend this past week... And maybe not even before that. I've just been so caught up with school, and my future, and all this other bullshit―"

Sasuke shook his head once before leaning up and cutting the blond off with a chaste kiss. "It’s not bullshit. I’m proud of you for taking it all so seriously. You should never apologize for caring about your future," Sasuke told him while he gently stroked the blond’s forearm soothingly. Sasuke truly meant what he said. He didn’t want Naruto to think what he was doing here wasn’t worth his time because it was. Sasuke knew he was important to Naruto, but so was the rest of the blond’s life. Looking back now, Sasuke felt like he had treated Naruto so unfairly, and it was all because of his stupid insecurities.

"But I _should_ apologize for ignoring you," Naruto quickly argued back. "You're my boyfriend and I’ve been neglecting you. I never thought I would turn out to be that guy. This was such a huge thing in my life―my Grandma’s death probably being the only thing to come close―but still; I know that’s no excuse for being a dick. I should always make time for you. For us. I don’t want you to think I’m, I don’t know, trying to pull away from you or something. Because I’m not. Like, at all. Even if it sometimes seems like I am, believe me when I say that’s the last thing I really want."

The more worked up Naruto became, the guiltier Sasuke felt for all of his brooding these past couple of days. He thought he knew Naruto so well at this point, and yet he was too blinded by his own hurt feelings to realize Naruto had been doing what he always did. He invested all of his time into something he wanted and believed in, gave it 110%, and came out on the other side better off than he was before. He was a go-getter. He made things happen. How could Sasuke have let such a foreign feeling of abandonment and loneliness stop him from noticing that Naruto never truly meant to reject him in the first place? He was just being Naruto.

And it was a part of Naruto that Sasuke loved the most.

Sasuke believed they both realized that there had been a lack of communication between them. Despite living in the same apartment, they hadn’t actually talked to each other about how the other was feeling. It was a flaw both of them would have to work on, but Naruto's regret had already been established and Sasuke had no interest in making him grovel. He could forgive the blond and move past it. Staying upset would only move them backwards, not forwards.

The way Naruto was looking down at Sasuke now—his normally vibrant blue eyes full of eagerness and life now flooded with guilt—it was so endearing how easily Naruto could let his walls down when he made up his mind to, how through a single look Sasuke could see his true feelings without reservations.

Sasuke couldn't even begin to express out loud—let alone in his own mind—how grateful he was to have found someone so emotionally honest to counter balance his own somewhat stoic approach to conflict. Itachi hadn't been wrong when he said Sasuke had nothing to compare this situation to. Nothing even remotely coming close in similarity that he could draw knowledge and experience from to come up with a viable solution. 

Through all of this confusion and frustration, Sasuke never questioned Naruto's character as a whole, just his decision making. Never once had he thought Naruto was a selfish man who only cared about himself. Naruto was a _good_ man. Maybe a little oblivious at times, but still _good_. And Sasuke hoped one day to follow in his footsteps: lead by Naruto's example and believe he has the right to express himself openly without fear of judgment or rejection. Because Naruto really loved him. 

Even in the midst of his lowest points, Naruto Uzumaki loved him. And somehow, that was enough.

Feeling the weight of the conversation lingering between them, Sasuke tried to take some of the levity out of the moment by lightening the tone. “Personally I’ve enjoyed this time to myself. It was nice not having to watch my back for someone to jump me 24/7.”

No doubt picking up on the shift in Sasuke’s voice, Naruto carelessly rolled his eyes and plopped down on top of Sasuke, smirking when the man let out a quiet grunt of protest. "Ha ha," Naruto laughed sarcastically before burying his face into the Uchiha's neck, inhaling his familiar scent. " _I_ on the other hand have missed being with you like crazy. I guess that’s my fault too. I coulda done something about it but I was too distracted.”

Curious lips began tracing along Sasuke’s neck, leaving hot open mouthed kisses in their wake. “You don’t seem distracted now," Sasuke quietly exhaled through his lips, and if that wasn’t a blatant invitation Sasuke didn’t know what was.

Naruto let out a low hum of approval that Sasuke felt reverberate from his chest, and it was then Sasuke became hyper aware of how _good_ it felt to have Naruto’s warm, solid body pressing him down into the mattress. Sasuke knew he had been spoiled by Naruto’s constant affection. A few weeks without it and Sasuke was left wanting. Yet another desire that only Naruto could have awakened in him.

Trying to reserve what little modesty he had left, Sasuke opened his legs and allowed Naruto to slot in between them, effectively pressing their bodies flush together. Sasuke guided Naruto's face back to his so they could share a deep kiss, and when Naruto's tongue swept over his bottom lip, Sasuke opened his mouth willingly and tangled his fingers into blond hair. He wanted Naruto to know how much he missed him. Even if he couldn't properly articulate it out loud. 

Soon enough holding each other close and making out just wasn't enough to satisfy either one of them. Naruto rolled his hips experimentally and even through their jeans the friction was wonderful and pulled a moan from both of them. Sasuke could feel Naruto's growing arousal rubbing against his own swelling erection and felt that familiar shiver of anticipation tickle down his spine. Like this, there was no way to deny their lust for one another.

The blond was so close to where Sasuke really wanted him, sliding their bodies together with all the enthusiastic impatience of a horny teenager. It was suddenly all too much and yet still not enough. Sasuke didn’t think he’d be able to wait for the entire preperation process, and Naruto seemed to wordlessly agree with him, already fumbling to open their belts. They needed something to take the edge off, so when Naruto’s hand finally wrapped around the Uchiha’s cock, Sasuke arched into the touch and allowed any other thoughts to drift to the back of his mind.

Naruto swept his fingers through the precome gathering at the tips and used it to slick up their shafts before pressing them together and grabbing both of them in his fist. There wasn't time for slow, drawn out foreplay. Naruto got them both off with quick, messy strokes. Both of them breathing harshly in between deep kisses and lazy thrusts.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come," Naruto groaned as his hand movements became more erratic, more desperate for release. Sasuke could only nod before he was tipping over the edge, letting out a low moan and spilling over Naruto's hand, making a complete mess of them. Naruto followed quickly after, groaning Sasuke's name and slowing his strokes until both of them were spent. He let his hand slip away in favour of looking down at the damage. Luckily Naruto had enough sense to at least attempt to push Sasuke's shirt out of the way during, but their jeans and boxers were a different story.

"Sorry," Naruto said out of habit, but he really wasn't. Emotionally and now physically, Naruto was feeling better than he had in weeks. He assumed Sasuke would be a little upset about having to change and wash their clothes, but he surprised the blond when Sasuke pulled him in close and with an indulgent smile and told him, "Don't be." 

Naruto mirrored Sasuke's smile before kissing him once, twice, then a third time. Naruto just couldn't get enough of him, and although he was satisfied for the moment, he kept kissing his boyfriend until Sasuke chuckled and pushed him away. "How about we try for our date again?" Sasuke suggested, glancing down at the time on his watch. “I think I could still make us a reservation for somewhere decent.”

“Sounds good to me,” Naruto said, now grinning ear to ear. Despite their new plans for the evening, neither one of them seemed all that eager to move away from each other. After a brief moment of companionable silence, Naruto offered, "Shall we pick this up again later?" not even trying to hide the mischievous lilt in his voice. Sasuke grinned before leaning up on his elbows and kissing Naruto once again.

"We shall." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Takes a deep breath* Okay. We made it through. The end is just around the corner. I promise the last chapter won't take as long to post as this one. (I might cry if I look at how long it's been so I won't) Thank you everyone for waiting and still reading this story. You guys are amazing and have always given me so much confidence and inspiration. 
> 
> That being said, I will see you all in the next chapter... 
> 
> As always comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.


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